2010 AALS Sports and the Law Section Meeting and Panel

Association of American Law Schools’ 2010 annual meeting in New Orleans in January:

http://sports-law.blogspot.com/2009/11/2010-aals-sports-and-law-section.html

A pro athlete’s lament: U.S. health care discriminates

Check out my friend Garret Broshuis’ article on health care and baseball.  The article appeared in a USA Today Op-Ed today.

ABA: Forum on Entertainment and Sports Industries annual conference

The ABA Forum on Entertainment and Sports Industries held its annual conference in New York City at the Grand Hyatt October 8th – 1oth.  Below are few pictures from the event.

Check Out Access Athletes: The Real Athlete Blog

Access Athletes : The Real Athlete Blog is a great new site that has content from and for athletes and all others in the sports industry.  The blog gives athletes and agents perspectives on critical issues.  It also reviews athletic products and shares very interesting sports videos from YouTube….check it out. 

Here are some of the latest articles from the site:

Was Michael Crabtree’s holdout worth it?

Check Out 9 Year Old Oliver Twist

Rush Limbaugh and the importance of reputation management

Aspiring NBA Player, Current D-League Player Update

 

 

Asset Protection For Athletes 101

Check out Ike Devji’s blog on athlete asset protection.

Minor League Baseball

Check out Garrett Broshious’ blog, who writes about minor league baseball.  Garrett is himself a minor league baseball player. In his most recent post he writes about an article he is writing for Baseball America about depressed salaries.

Introducing the Harvard Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law

September 29, 2009

On behalf of the editorial board, it is my distinct pleasure to announce the formation of the Harvard Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law (JSEL). JSEL will provide the academic community, the sports and entertainment industries, and the broader legal profession with scholarly analysis and research related to the legal aspects of the sports and entertainment communities.

JSEL, published under the auspices of Harvard Law School, is accepting articles, essays, book reviews, notes, and comments regarding legal and/or public policy issues from academics and legal practitioners for its upcoming inaugural issue in Spring 2010. JSEL is one of the few journals in the United States that focuses exclusively on legal topics related to sports and entertainment.

As you are probably aware, legal topics that affect sports and entertainment include antitrust law, civil procedure, constitutional law, contract law, corporate law, copyright law, labor law, and real estate law. In addition, there are many other legal topics that have an impact on the sports and entertainment industries, or otherwise have an application to sports and entertainment.

Submissions are being accepted on a rolling basis. To be considered for our first issue, due to be published in Spring 2010, please send completed submissions no later than November 15, 2009. An indication of your interest before that date would also be greatly appreciated.

All submissions must be sent to Josh Podoll, Submissions Editor, as an attached Microsoft Word document via email to jselsubmissions@gmail.com. Please visit our website for further details regarding the submissions process at www.HarvardJSEL.com. Also, please feel free to contact Josh regarding any questions you may have concerning citation format, topic, or other issues involving the submissions process. If you know of other scholars, practitioners, or students whose work seems appropriate for our journal, please encourage them to submit their work to JSEL.

We look forward to receiving your submissions!

Sincerely,

Ashwin Krishna
Editor in Chief

Josh Podoll
Submissions Editor

New Event

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we will no longer be holding the NSELS event in New Orleans. However, we have teamed up with the University of Florida School of Law for their event in January.

Save the Date! Oct. 16-17, 2009

We’re currently working on an NSELS national event on Oct. 16 – Oct. 17, 2009.  This is a Friday and Saturday at the Contemporary Arts Center in downtown New Orleans.  We currently have a co-sponsorship with the Grammy Foundation, The Recording Academy, and the Entertainment Law Initiative.  Also, we are teaming up with the Jazz and Heritage Foundation to attend a Blues concert that is occurring this weekend for free.  It’s going to include greats like Buddy Guy, Irma Thomas, etc.  There are mixers and cocktail receptions also planned with live entertainment. Please contact Kevin Conway with any questions.

More info to follow soon!

Interview with Vered N. Yakovee, Editor-in-Chief of the Entertainment & Sports Lawyer

Vered Yakovee is a dynamic individual. She is well-connected and well-versed in the sports and entertainment law fields. She teaches Sports Law at USC Gould School of Law, practices all aspects of sports law and insurance coverage law, and is Editor-in-Chief of the ABA Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries’ Entertainment & Sports Lawyer. I have corresponded with Ms. Yakovee occasionally over the past year, and had the distinct pleasure of meeting her at the Sports Lawyers Association annual conference this spring in Chicago, Illinois, where she was a featured speaker. Ms. Yakovee graciously agreed to the following interview, which was conducted through email.

AD: Describe your path to sports & entertainment law. How did you become EIC of the Entertainment & Sports Lawyer?

VY:  I knew that I wanted to work in the sports industry since I was an undergraduate student.  Between college and law school, I took my time studying for the LSAT, I coached high school basketball, and I thought about how to approach “sports law.”  During law school, I began asking all of the sports lawyers who would give me the time how they got where they are.  I found that everyone had a different story.  Therefore, I knew that if I stuck to my guns, I would eventually find my own path as well.  I became Editor-in-Chief of the ABA’s Entertainment & Sports Lawyer after I wrote a series of articles on all legal aspects of staging large-scale sports events for the journal by request of my predecessor, Bob Pimm.

AD: What do you like and dislike about sports and entertainment law practice?

VY: I can’t think of anything I don’t like about it.  It’s a lot of fun.

AD:  What are some ways you think this area of the law could improve?

VY:  It is hard to speak of “this area of law,” because there is a debate about whether there is a separate body of “sports law.”  One opinion is that there are some exclusively sports-related laws, such as Title IX, agent regulations, and the body of law created by Court of Arbitration for Sport (“CAS”) decisions.  Another opinion is that all areas of law apply to the sports industry, just as they do to any other industry, and that the concept of “sports law” really refers to endless areas of law to the extent that they touch the sports industry.  If the latter is a more accurate description of “sports law,” then the ways in which students can break into the industry are limited only by the imagination of the student.  Any area of law that can add value to the sports industry will become an integral part of the “sports law” picture.

AD:  Any advice for students interested in the field?

VY:  Students should do some things that are typically helpful to breaking into the sports industry.  However, students should also remain open to breaking in by new and unique ways.  Traditionally, classes including labor and employment, antitrust, general intellectual property classes and specialized intellectual property classes including those on trademark and copyright are helpful.  It is also helpful to read industry periodicals including Sports Business Daily, Sports Business Journal, Entertainment & Sports Lawyer, and Sports Litigation Alert.  Taking internships for relevant experience, as well as volunteering in other ways for the same reason is beneficial to understanding the industry.  Internships and volunteering are also a great way for students to gain an opportunity to showcase that they are reliable and smart in a real-world setting.

AD:  What’s a typical day like for you?

VY:  As is true for many lawyers, my days are always different.  My practice consists of both litigation as well as advising clients on non-litigation matters.  Some days I am at USC Gould School of Law, where I teach the Sports Law course to 2L and 3L students.  I also spend time between working on behalf of my clients, work on the Entertainment & Sports Lawyer, writing articles, and doing my own volunteer work.  My days look different depending on which of these tasks is the priority for that day.  I also try to make time to stay active in sports myself, and during summers that means being on the ocean in an outrigger canoe with the Southern California Outrigger Racing Association.